Netherlands Journal of Geosciences / Geologie en Mijnbouw 83 (1): 17-38 (2004) A sporomorph ecogroup model for the Northwest European Jurassic - Lower Cretaceousi: concepts and framework O.A. Abbink*1, J.H.A. Van Konijnenburg-Van Cittert2-3 & H. Visscher1'2 * Corresponding author 1TNO-NITG, P.O. Box 80015, NL-3508TA Utrecht, the Netherlands: [email protected] 2 Laboratory of Palaeobotany and Palynology, Utrecht University, Budapestlaan 4, NL-3584 CD Utrecht, the Netherlands: [email protected], [email protected] 3 National Museum of Naturl History 'Naturalis', P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, the Netherlands: [email protected] Abstract Based on recent vegetation distribution and an integration of macropalaeobotanical and palynological information, a palaeo- community model is explored that may permit detailed interpretations of quantitative sporomorph distribution patterns in the Jurassic and Early Cretaceous of NW-Europe in terms of changes in palaeoenvironment (sea-level, climate). The concep­ tual model is based on the recognition of Sporomorph Ecogroups (SEGs) that reflect broad co-existing plant communities, viz. upland, lowland, river, pioneer, coastal, and tidally-influenced SEGs. In successive palynological assemblages, shifts in the relative abundance of SEGs are thought to be indicators of sea-level changes. Climatic changes may be recognised through significant shifts within the quantitative composition of individual SEGs. Keywords: palynology, palaeobotany, Late Jurassic, palaeo-ecology, palaeoclimate, sea-level Introduction rate of landplants. Moreover, qualitative analysis does hardly provide information about past environmental Paralic Jurassic sediments in the North Sea form an changes. Only quantitative data may reflect the rela­ important economic objective (Brown, 1990; Ziegler, tionship between sporomorph assemblages and (spa­ 1990). In these sediments, palynomorphs are the tial, temporal) environmental gradients (e.g. Brug- most abundant (micro) fossil group. The marine com­ man et ah, 1994). Surprisingly few detailed quantita­ ponent in the palynological associations (e.g. dinofla- tive palynological studies have been carried out on gellate cysts, acritarchs) from these paralic sediments Jurassic paralic sediments (e.g. Whitaker et al, 1992; is small or absent, while the terrestrial component Hubbard & Boulter, 1997), whereas palaeoenviron- (spores, pollen) is high. Consequently, spore/pollen mental interpretation of the identified changes in the (sporomorph) palynology is increasingly challenged composition of Jurassic sporomorph assemblages is to improve the interpretation of data sets that can be still ambiguous. used for dating and characterisation of paralic deposi- A realistic interpretation of Jurassic sporomorph tional sequences. The recognition of these deposition- signals is largely dependent on the ability to distin­ al sequences is an important aid in hydrocarbon geol­ guish palaeocommunities by using information on the ogy. Conventional sporomorph stratigraphy does, ecology of the parent plants of quantitatively impor­ however, not provide the required temporal resolu­ tant spores and pollen. Based on recent vegetation tion to recognise such sequences (Abbink, 1998). It distribution and an integration of environmentally may even be argued that the required resolution will significant macropalaeobotanical and palynological never be reached due to the relatively slow evolution information, in this paper a palaeocommunity model Netherlands Journal of Geosciences / Geologie en Mijnbouw 83(1) 2004 17 Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.35.229, on 24 Sep 2021 at 21:20:14, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0016774600020436 Environment (Geography +Climate) Sediment Sediment 3reservatiorr 3reservatiorr Sedimentation Sedimentation Transport Transport Ecosystem Palynomorphs (Organisms + Habitat) Palynodebris Sporomorphs Palynomorphs Ecosystem Sporomorph Palynodebris (Organisms + Habitat) EcoGroups 'reservation^ Sedimentation Transport Environment Palaeo-environment Sediment (Geography +Climate) (Geography +Climate) Fig. 1. Simplified diagram of he followed hypotheses for a) present-day situations b) quaternary palaeo-environmental reconstructons and c) the Sporomorph EcoGroup concept (modified after Janssen, 1980;Traverse, 1994;Tyson, 1995). is explored that may facilitate the interpretation of Van der Zwan & Brugman, 1999; Van der Zwan, quantitative sporomorph distribution patterns in the 2002). Jurassic and Early Cretaceous of NW Europe in In the Mesozoic, any application of palaeocommu­ terms of changes in palaeoenvironment. The resulting nity models is considerably hampered by uncertain­ conceptual 'Sporomorph Ecogroup Model' will ap­ ties with respect to the botanical affinities of quantita­ plied to and tested against data from a marginal ma­ tively important sporomorphs and/or the ecological rine, uppermost Callovian - Middle Oxfordian suc­ preference of the extinct parent plants. However, cession in exploration well F17-4 of the Nederlandse based on actualistic principles, one may assume the Aardolie Maatschappij B.V. (NAM), offshore The presence of distinctive habitat-bounded palaeocom­ Netherlands (Abbink et al., in press). munity types, each of which is characterised by taxa with broadly similar ecological preferences. These A sporomorph ecogroup model palaeocommunity types can serve as a palaeoecologi- cal framework for a conceptual Sporomorph Despite effects of preservation, transportation and Ecogroup model of co-existing sources of dispersed sedimentation processes, assemblages of pollen and spores and pollen. The term Sporomorph Ecogroup spores (sporomorphs) reflect the composition of ter­ (SEG) is introduced to denote the total of types of restrial plant communities (e.g. Muller, 1959; dispersed spores and pollen of land plants that re­ Chaloner & Muir, 1968; Traverse, 1988; Tyson, flects the composition of an individual source com­ 1995). In Quaternary palynology this relationship is munity. A schematic diagram of this concept is given successfully applied in the identification of local and in Fig. 1. regional environmental change. Quaternary studies strongly benefit from actualistic data and models of Definitions of the Jurassic - Early Cretaceous SEGs the relation between sporomorph signals and environ­ mental gradients (e.g. Birks & Birks, 1980; Huntley, In order to define SEGs for the Jurassic - Early Creta­ 1990). In the environmental interpretation of pre- ceous and to model the response of SEGs to Quaternary records, the ability to identify sporo­ palaeoenvironmental change, the establishment of an morph categories in terms of environmentally signifi­ ecological framework for the source communities is cant plant categories becomes a major constraining necessary. According to Grime (1979) two factors de­ factor. Going back in time, sporomorphs increasingly termine the type of plants defining a specific vegeta­ represent extinct plant taxa. However, in the Neogene tion: stress and disturbance. The variation of the level and even in the Paleogene, identification of part of of stress and disturbance results in three different the sporomorph assemblages still enables direct plant strategies: a competitive strategy (low stress, low floristic comparisons with extant plant communities. disturbance), a stress-tolerating strategy (high stress, This correlation potential is a sound basis for the in­ low disturbance), and a ruderal strategy (low stress, troduction of palaeocommunity models that may en­ high disturbance), whereas highly disturbed habitats able the environmental and climatic interpretation of with severe and continuous stress are not viable as sporomorph distribution patterns (Poumot, 1989; plant habitats (Grime, 1979). 18 Netherlands Journal of Geosciences / Geologie en Mijnbouw 83(1) 2004 Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.35.229, on 24 Sep 2021 at 21:20:14, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0016774600020436 If we translate these strategies into a conceptual SEGs are taken into consideration (Fig. 2): SEG model for the Jurassic - Early Cretaceous land­ (A) Upland SEG, reflecting upland communities: scape of NW Europe, we contemplate one SEG re­ vegetation on higher terrain well above groundwater flecting the vegetation present in the main lowland level that is never submerged by water, area, where there is an optimum of nutrients and (B) Lowland SEG, reflecting lowland communities; fresh water (low stress and low disturbance).The low­ vegetation on plains and/or in fresh water swamps; the land plants will follow a competitive strategy and, plains may (periodically) be submerged by fresh wa­ consequently, the ecological boundaries of the plants ter, resulting in the possible presence of 'wetter' reflected by this SEG are determined by less-than-op- (marsh) and 'drier' taxa in this group; there is no in­ timum conditions surrounding this lowland area. The fluence of (sea) salt, except, perhaps, under extreme plants within the communities reflected by other circumstances, SEGs will follow a stress-tolerating or ruderal strate­ (C) River SEG, reflecting riverbank communities; gy. Seaward, ecological stress is introduced by the in­ vegetation on river banks which are (periodically) fluence of salt water (in a tidally-influenced